Weekend Getaways near Tangier

About Tangier

Tangier is a crowded city with a small but nice Medina (means city, the old city) close to the coast and a great spot called Hafa Cafe with the Mediterranean sea in front of you while you drink a cup of mint tea.
From the CouchSurfer living room we were staying in ,we were pretty fortunate to look at this beautiful view of Tarifa (Spain) and Gibraltar in front.

Thank you!

These 7 days literally flew away for us. We kept discussing what we’d missed. We wanted to stay each place a little more, but we also wanted to explore more places.You know what we were living with?THE FEAR OF MISSING OUTRead More

These 7 days literally flew away for us. We kept discussing what we’d missed. We wanted to stay each place a little more, but we also wanted to explore more places.You know what we were living with?THE FEAR OF MISSING OUT

Next day we headed to Seville, the youthful capital of the Andalusia region. The tour of the bull fight arena is a must-experience. Like it is said, there is a celebration every day in Andalucia. And to our luck, we got to attend the ongoing global cuisine fair. There are sky-diving options here, which are more expensive as compared to other options in Europe, but well worth the experience.

There couldn't be a better first impression to Spain other than Andalucía’s capital, Seville!
The people are warm & welcoming, the culture and traditions absorb you in no time, and the Moorish & Roman influences in architecture are not only jaw dropping but highly symbolic & meaningful. The Flamenco shows are so dramatic that they leave a lasting impression on you & I can't say enough about the gastronomy!!

If it is true that Andalucia is a beautiful region, it is also true that most big cities have somehow similar historic sights, with particular focus on a main cathedral and an alcazar (sort of palace built by the Moors and later on taken over by the Christian rulers). Sevilla was no exception. I guess as it was the last place we visited in Andalucia it did suffer from our overload of history in the previous days. But don’t let this turn you off if you plan on traveling to Southern Spain. Sevilla is well worth a visit! Not only to see its historical buildings, but also to experience its culture, in the form of Sevillanas and Flamenco music (which we didn’t get to experience live this time) or food & drinks.
You can tell that people in Andalucia are generally happy folks and, being Spanish, they sure like to party! The streets are always full of people (and they say there is a big crisis going on? We couldn’t tell!) and more than once we came across folks that would start singing and clapping out of the blue.

My first observation about Seville was that it was much bigger than I had pictured it. There was a decent-sized area that constitutes the “old town” where all of the main historic sites are located and then that area is surrounded by a really generic, large European city. Though the old town is small, it is quite easy to lose your bearings (as I soon discovered) while wandering around. There were a number of small, winding city streets that the locals apparently think should remain nameless because I couldn’t find a sign on any of them, nor did they seem to exist on either of the two maps I looked at.
My first stop was the Catedral de Sevilla, the largest Gothic building in the world and third largest cathedral (after St. Peter’s in Vatican City and St. Paul’s in London). The cathedral’s central altar is over 60 feet tall and is said to be the largest in the world. The tomb of Christopher Columbus is also located within the cathedral. Next door is La Giralda, a 12th century Moorish tower. The view is fantastic and I had earned it after walking up the steep ramps to get to the top.
Just across from the cathedral is the Royal Palace, Alcazar. Formerly a Moorish fortress, it’s still used by the royal family when they visit Seville.

MalagaIn Malaga you will breath such a sparkling Spanish atmosphere! Maybe for the sea air of Costa del Sol, or maybe for the tasty tapas you will eat :) Anyway, in Malaga you absolutely have to visit the Gibralfaro castle, one of the most popular attractions, and the Cathedral, also called Manquita because of the incomplete right tower. If you have time in advance and you are an art lover, don’t miss the Picasso Museum!Read More

MalagaIn Malaga you will breath such a sparkling Spanish atmosphere! Maybe for the sea air of Costa del Sol, or maybe for the tasty tapas you will eat :) Anyway, in Malaga you absolutely have to visit the Gibralfaro castle, one of the most popular attractions, and the Cathedral, also called Manquita because of the incomplete right tower. If you have time in advance and you are an art lover, don’t miss the Picasso Museum!

When people go on a citybreak in Spain, most of the time they are visiting the usual suspects: " Barcelona" , "Madrid", " Valencia",... . But Malaga, which is located at the Costa Del Sol, has one of the busiest airports in spain, but mainly with people who want to spend their holiday sunbathing along the Costa Del Sol in the main tourism resorts: "Nerja", "Torremolinos","Estepona",...But Malaga City is a forgotten gem. Malaga is a world apart from the tourism resorts of Costa Del Sol. The historic city is steeped in history. Walking through the small streets ligned with shops, you can't miss the beautiful historic buildings in the city.

The experience at the airport was tiresome but our jovial driver Haji, made up for it with his good humor during the long drive. Being the biggest city in Morocco, Casablanca is gritty. I’d say a confluence of Cairo’s Arabic essence and Mexico City’s energy. It is also well known as the city encircling the famous Hassan II Mosque.Read More

The experience at the airport was tiresome but our jovial driver Haji, made up for it with his good humor during the long drive. Being the biggest city in Morocco, Casablanca is gritty. I’d say a confluence of Cairo’s Arabic essence and Mexico City’s energy. It is also well known as the city encircling the famous Hassan II Mosque.

We visited Malaga very briefly, mainly to enjoy a “fishy” meal by the beach. Like people tend to do in Europe when their pockets are tight, we went to a beach destination… but in the middle of December! Who cares about high season! The beach can also feel great on winter days. According to some, Torremolinos is the place that “used to be” but no longer is. But allow us to disagree.
Although the majority of the people in town were old couples in search of a ray of sun (we could tell most of them were from Northern Europe) Torrremolinos is still a place that is “in” for the simple fact that it is a very pleasant sea-side town. You can easily fill your time taking walks, dipping your toes in the Mediterranean (but not much more than the toes this time of year!) and eating the typical fritura malagena, which is a traditional local dish consisting of assorted fried fresh fish.Read More

We visited Malaga very briefly, mainly to enjoy a “fishy” meal by the beach. Like people tend to do in Europe when their pockets are tight, we went to a beach destination… but in the middle of December! Who cares about high season! The beach can also feel great on winter days. According to some, Torremolinos is the place that “used to be” but no longer is. But allow us to disagree.
Although the majority of the people in town were old couples in search of a ray of sun (we could tell most of them were from Northern Europe) Torrremolinos is still a place that is “in” for the simple fact that it is a very pleasant sea-side town. You can easily fill your time taking walks, dipping your toes in the Mediterranean (but not much more than the toes this time of year!) and eating the typical fritura malagena, which is a traditional local dish consisting of assorted fried fresh fish.

I had the best vacation ever But, I would never go to Portugal again because the cobble stoned narrow streets have me rapt in a daze, And because the the Chapel of Bones, the very well preserved Old Towns and the old “end of the world”, Sagres took me centuries back in time. It was truly mesmerizing to hear the stories of the sailor’s from the locals.I would never go to Portugal again because it is so very difficult to leave the historical Old Towns and Gorgeous Beaches and to bid goodbye to the amazing locals (who are very very hospitable and helpful) and to accept the fact that there is no other place like Portugal,to realize you will miss the awesome beauty and vibes of Algarve.“I would never go back to Portugal because the Homecoming is Awful!!! ” (Although I come back to a place like Amsterdam).Read More

I had the best vacation ever But, I would never go to Portugal again because the cobble stoned narrow streets have me rapt in a daze, And because the the Chapel of Bones, the very well preserved Old Towns and the old “end of the world”, Sagres took me centuries back in time. It was truly mesmerizing to hear the stories of the sailor’s from the locals.I would never go to Portugal again because it is so very difficult to leave the historical Old Towns and Gorgeous Beaches and to bid goodbye to the amazing locals (who are very very hospitable and helpful) and to accept the fact that there is no other place like Portugal,to realize you will miss the awesome beauty and vibes of Algarve.“I would never go back to Portugal because the Homecoming is Awful!!! ” (Although I come back to a place like Amsterdam).

FaroThis is not somewhere you would expect to see on a post like this but there is so much more to Faro than an airport.We called in as we had to find a car parts shop, we parked and headed for something to eat, this was easy to find with the signs!

The final part of our trip was at the southern coast of Portugal. A place frequented by many tourists, thanks to the nearby Airport and the possibilities of surfing. We had entered a different part of Portugal, sunny and deserted but charming. The cactus plant in front of our sea facing airbnb would have me scouting for tequila in Faro. The place had a very Mexican feel to it with all the sun, tan and cactus. I loved it!
We had a great apartment with a nice exotic lagoon experience. A thin island that lay separated from the city by a Lagoon. Check the pictures below for the front and back views to see the sea water in both the sides.
The food was so good and affordable around the beach. We did not hesitate to spoil ourselves to some fried fresh sardines prepared by the locals. Living in Italy for so long, I had nearly forgotten how a Domions Pizza, KFC Chicken or a Starbucks would taste like.
Things are finally changing in Milan amid skepticism. I write this blog while munching on a Dominos Pizza like how I did in pre 2010 India. The fast food in Portugal seemed to have a lot of diversity in ingredients in it. We had everything from fish and chips and English Breakfast to rich fried noodles and delicious dessert. They made almost everything at the shack on the beach.
Dinner like Vasco Da Gama: Authentic Portuguese sea food
A couple of meals at the same place finally motivated us to go for the authentic Portuguese sea food experience. The family run restaurant which had shipping accessories all across the walls had a very confusing menu. The food was really authentic and included fish soup in large quantities served with rice.
We were served in a traditional looking silvery cutlery. I may have eaten a new fish that day, something big from the deep blue Atlantic. This was the kind of food you would eat on a journey across the globe in an old wooden ship. Finally on my pursuit to discover Vasco Da Gama's home country, I almost get to eat like the Portuguese sailors.
This post was originally published on The Road Not Taken.

Ronda: Ronda, a beautiful hill village, built atop a gorge is a must visit destination in Andalusia. A couple of hours train journey from Granada, Ronda is quaint yet dramatic. While most prefer it to be a day trip, we stayed here for couple of nights to relax and unwind. The town is most famous for its 3 historic bridges built over the gorge. It provides mesmerizing views from the edge of the valley. You can start from the top and come down towards the old bridge on left covering multiple points enroute. The other trek is down towards Puente Nuevo, or as we did, take a fixed price 15 Euro taxi down to the foot of the bridge.Read More

Ronda: Ronda, a beautiful hill village, built atop a gorge is a must visit destination in Andalusia. A couple of hours train journey from Granada, Ronda is quaint yet dramatic. While most prefer it to be a day trip, we stayed here for couple of nights to relax and unwind. The town is most famous for its 3 historic bridges built over the gorge. It provides mesmerizing views from the edge of the valley. You can start from the top and come down towards the old bridge on left covering multiple points enroute. The other trek is down towards Puente Nuevo, or as we did, take a fixed price 15 Euro taxi down to the foot of the bridge.

Ronda's claim to fame, other than its bullfighting history, is its spectacular setting. Located on a plateau, the town of Ronda is split into two parts by a 120m deep chasm known as El Tajo Gorge. There are three bridges that connect the two parts of the town. Out of the three, Puente Nuevo, built in the 18 th century, is the newest, tallest, largest and the most impressive. The majestic Puente Nuevo along with the River Guadalevín snaking through the gorge, the sheer vertical cliffs, the white buildings and the vast green stretches of Andalusian countryside make for a spellbinding spectacle that hypnotises the visitors and leaves them breathless. I can say this because that was what happened to us when we saw that view for the first time.

Turning right out of Gaucin onto the A369 leads straight to the crown jewel of the Malaga province. Built atop a canyon that is hundreds of feet deep, Ronda’s three scenic bridges are world-famous. There are ruins of a fortress and a beautiful 16th century church, but Ronda is perhaps best known for its famous visitors. Ernest Hemingway, who spent much time in Ronda, claimed that if one were only to see a single bullfight, Ronda would be the place to do it (I’ll pass on that). Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls (about the Spanish civil war) is said to be based on the executions of Nationalists who were thrown off the hills of Ronda into the canyon below. Orson Wells, Rainer Maria Wilke and the English writer, George Eliot also spent time in the spectacular town of Ronda. Several charming hotels and B&B’s are available in Ronda, so if you have the chance, stay the night.

Tangier is a crowded city with a small but nice Medina (means city, the old city) close to the coast and a great spot called Hafa Cafe with the Mediterranean sea in front of you while you drink a cup of mint tea.
From the CouchSurfer living room we were staying in ,we were pretty fortunate to look at this beautiful view of Tarifa (Spain) and Gibraltar in front.